


high tide

by sechung



Category: PRISTIN (Band)
Genre: F/F, Pirate!AU, captain nayoung and her crew of gay misfits, lots of pairings lots of thrill this is more of a pristin centric fic than just one pairing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-17 17:51:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10599102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sechung/pseuds/sechung
Summary: Jieqiong believes in mermaids. Eunwoo wants an escape. Yebin cares too much. Minkyung just wants some approval. Nayoung's trying to keep everyone together. [pirate!au]





	1. Chapter 1

Nayoung has always loved the sea. 

The salty taste of the wind, the burst of white foam atop the waves, the glassy cool tones of the water. 

Most of all, she loves her ship—rocking on the waves, the billows of wind in her sails. Her favorite place on her ship is her captain's study—a dark, private room where she can be by herself. She strikes a match and lights a candle, setting it down on her desk, and tucking hair behind her ear. 

Nayoung opens a book from her shelf, one of multiple maps of the various islands the ship would soon be approaching.

Suddenly, there's a knock on the door.

"Come in." Nayoung says with a small gesture of her hand. 

It's Kyungwon. 

Kyungwon is the navigator—sweet, kindly, almost motherly—with cropped brown hair and an affinity for maps and telescopes. 

"We're approaching Black Widow Island, Captain." she says with a nod. 

Nayoung gives her a faint smile. 

"Thank you, Kyungwon."

"Also, Yebin says dinner is served." 

"I'll be right there." Nayoung snuffs the candle with her finger. 

 

Nayoung was not a normal captain—she didn't run a navy ship, or a trade ship—she was a pirate. 

In truth, she had despised pirates since she was young. In the small beach town she resided, they'd visit her mother's inn, loud and raunchy and annoying. She couldn't forget the blood they had spilled either, the day she had found her mother's body on the wooden floorboards—she couldn't forget anything they had done. 

Nayoung had always hated the way pirates did business, in her mind, she could get the same job done with much more order and finesse, organization and strategy. It was how her brain worked after all, planning every move for every possible outcome. 

Now she sits at the head of the table, spreading butter onto a slice of bread, gently sipping her ale.

"What's the plan when we dock, Captain?" Minkyung says. 

Minkyung is her slightly eager-to-please, stoic first mate, a gorgeous navy captain's daughter who ran away from home to roam the seas. 

"Hm..." Nayoung hums. "I believe I'll send Siyeon out to scout nearby trade ships." 

Siyeon is Nayoung's wild card—by age 17, she's already escaped jail twice—her bounty is pretty heavy, not as heavy as Nayoung's, of course, but significant for her age. 

Siyeon adjusts her eyepatch. "On it, Captain." 

"Doesn't the royal family live there?" Jieqiong asks, stuffing food into her mouth. 

Jieqiong is the weapons expert and a thievery specialist. She's often pulled aside by her fantastical ideals—chasing after mermaids and fairies, claiming she's spotted a dragon among the clouds. After Nayoung taught her how to read, she began to document her supposed magical findings in a small journal that she carries everywhere. 

"Yes." Nayoung replies. "But I'll need to assess their security before we try anything." 

Suddenly, there's a shattering noise. 

"Sungeyeon!" Yebin yells.

Yebin is the ship cook—once a culinary prodigy in her hometown, the destruction of her former restaurant in a navy battle resulted in her searching for a new job. Her handiness with poisons often puts her in charge of assassinations when Nayoung is hired to carry out a hit.

Sungyeon, the girl who just spilled a glass of milk, is a small, cheerful crew member who isn't entirely that helpful around the ship, but is loved despite for her pure adorableness. She spends most of her time swabbing the deck and running simple errands when they're on land.

"I'll help." Kyla says, with a kind smile. 

Kyla and Sungyeon are the youngest members of their crew, but Kyla has been around much longer than the other. With excellent swordsmanship, sailing expertise, and leadership skills, Nayoung can see a future captain in her.

In all honesty, there's no one Nayoung cares for more than her crew. As the table fills with noise and laughter, she gives a kindly smile.

 

Eunwoo hates life in the castle. Tiredly, she stuffs a foot into a slipper, before standing to gaze at her reflection in the gold-framed mirror. She's pretty—she supposes, but she hates that in just a few days, her beauty will be auctioned off to hundreds of suitors. 

"Yein!" she calls.

"Yes, miss?" Her servant responds, sticking her head into Eunwoo's bedroom.

"Can you tighten my corset?"

"Of course, miss." 

"You know you can just call me my name." 

"Miss Kahi requires I call you miss, miss."

Eunwoo lets out a sigh. Her mother truly aggravates her sometimes. 

As Yein's nimble fingers pull the ribbons, squeezing the ribcage-trapping contraption on her torso, she stares out the window dreamily. She can see the port—there's a ship pulling in. 

"Yein, sweetie, can you do me a favor?" 

"Of course, miss."

"Can you find out what ship that is? I'm intrigued by it." Eunwoo delicately begins to put on her satin gloves. "Very intrigued."

 

Not too far away, Nayoung sets her sights on the castle, and narrows her eyes. 

She nods to her crew.

"Let's go."


	2. dreaming

Eunwoo hates to admit it, but she loves to eavesdrop. When her father and her mother become engrossed in a meeting, she'll wander down the hallway and linger by the marble doorway, picking up on business deals and military operations. 

Today is one of those days. In her satin nightgown, she tiptoes from her bed to the outside of the conference room, the murmur of voices already appearing as she delicately walks closer. 

"Pirates. That's the problem." a voice—her fathers, she presumes, from the deep tones—says. 

Her mother speaks up. "I have heard rumors that the Terror of the High Seas is approaching our kingdom. Some even say she's already among us, but that's the servants talking. Always spreading silly rumors."

"Isn't that good?" Sehun, the king's advisor, adds. "The bounty on that woman is insane. If we manage to capture her, the kingdom will be set as a major power for years."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Sehun." laughs the king.

"Now," the queen adds, diverting the subject, "Onto Eunwoo's suitors." 

From behind the door, Eunwoo rolls her eyes. 

"I've had Hara organize some files and such for the variety of suitors coming to visit the ball. There are several from neighboring kingdoms which could really help our military alliances." 

Eunwoo sinks down to the floor. There's nothing she hates more than being used as a pawn in her parent's political games—no longer a person, just another piece in their puzzle of hierarchy and power plays. She hates her suitors too, meeting one is worse enough, but in just two days she'll be in a room full of them. 

She's not sure she wants to hear anymore, so she stands up and begins the quiet walk to her room.

 

Jieqiong loves visiting new places—the fresh scent of the air, the strangeness of the people's faces. Considering that both Nayoung and Minkyung were on the navy watchlist, the crew had decided it would be safe for them to say on the boat for the moment. However, Jieqiong was considerably under the radar, and with a strong desire to stretch her legs after being on the ship for so long, she found herself exploring the bustling port of Black Widow Island. 

From Kyungwon's pre-arrival briefing, a procedure Nayoung considered a necessity, Jieqiong had learned that Black Widow was a huge trade hub, and the capital of a large grouping of islands ruled over by one royal family. 

Jieqiong watches the castle from the midst of the smoky and loud nighttime dock crowd—its spires reaching towards the starry sky. She can remember wanting to be a princess when she was younger, and sometimes she still wishes to be someone born into the lap of luxury, but most of her is content with her life now. 

Jieqiong moves through the crowd, past stands selling exotic birds and skewers of meat, and finally to a hat seller—a tired-looking woman sewing a feather onto another other wares. She spots what she was looking for—a tricorn hat garnished with a large, dramatic peacock feather. 

Nayoung has always refused to wear any sort of fancy captain's gear, living for a sense of durability over extravagance. However, Jieqiong can just picture this hat on Nayoung, and she can't resist shoving a few gold coins in the woman's direction and purchasing it as a gift to her lovely captain. Not wanting to carry it around, she places it on her head—what's the harm in playing pretend captain for an hour or two? 

She passes two women chattering quite loudly about local gossip.

"I heard the Terror of the High Seas is here."

"I don't see any pirate ship at the docks, Sojung."

"I heard she stole a navy ship to repurpose for herself. She could be anywhere!"

"You're such a conspiracy theorist!"

Jieqiong gives herself a silent chuckle, and begins walking towards the castle. She begins to notice the naval officer presence greatly increasing, but no one seems to watch her with any sort of suspicion. The front gates of the castle are flanked with castle guards, and she notes they're weaponless—an easy takedown. The gates appear to loop back into a dark forest, a much easier entrance. Jieqiong reaches into her shoulder bag, uncaps a pen, and pulls out her journal. Quickly, she scribbles a couple of blurry sketches and rough notes, before ducking back into the crowd. 

 

"Miss!" 

Eunwoo looks up from her book. Her room is lit just by candlelight as she does her before-bed reading. 

At the door is Yein, who gives her a quick bow.

"Yes, Yein?"

"I found out who that boat belongs too. The servants are saying it belongs to..." Her voice lowers a register. "The Terror of the High Seas."

Eunwoo closes her book and sits up, intrigued. 

"It's a pirate ship?"

"They're saying it is, miss. I mean, they do a lot of gossiping down in the kitchens, but Sojung said she saw a strange lady with a pirate hat outside the palace, and that she thinks that boat has no official naval markings, but it looks like a navy ship.

The Terror is said to have captured a navy boat, you know."

"Thank you, Yein." 

"You're welcome, miss." 

Eunwoo stands up and walks to her window, staring at the odd ship in the distance. As the hours of night have waned away, the crowds at the docks have disappeared, and she swears she can see tiny figures sitting on the deck of the ship, conversing.

She's never told anyone, of course, but she's always wished she was a pirate or a sailor. Mostly, she wants to be far away from her family and the castle, somewhere out on the ocean. 

She undoes the latch of her window and leans out, thinking. Pirates are one of the worst enemies of the Alligned Kingdoms, especially her father's—who faces pirates stealing from his trade ships on the daily. The last place anyone would look for her would be among the crew of a pirate ship. Eunwoo's fingers tap on the windowsill. Hm.

 

"Are you sure it's safe to be out?" Minkyung asks, looking out on the island scenery. 

"It's fine." Siyeon nods. "Like Jieqiong said, most of the naval officers are by the castle. No one's going to approach us anyway, we look like a naval ship."

"I hate how you're smarter than me, even though you're younger." Minkyung grumbles, pulling her hair back into a ponytail and letting out a wispy sigh. "So what's the report on the trade ships?"

"Shouldn't I tell Nayoung that?" 

"She's in her study. She doesn't want to be bothered."

"Oh. Well, there's one navy ship. And a couple are just food transport, basic goods, we don't need that shit. The only one worth stealing from is that one at the very end of the docks. It's the king's official trade ship. See the guards? Probably means there's gold on it." 

Minkyung nods, and writes something on a leather bound notepad. "I'll report back to Nayoung tomorrow morning. You should get some sleep, since you're the best at stealth on the crew, you'll be doing a lot of work tomorrow." 

Siyeon laughs. "You're a little high-strung sometimes, Minky."

"I'm just trying to do my job."

Siyeon gives her a wide smile. "Goodnight."

Minkyung smiles back, just slightly. "Goodnight to you too, Siyeon."

 

In her study, Nayoung sits and scratches lengthy notes into her captain's log. She's wearing Jieqiong's silly hat—the girl had insisted so brightly that she wear it and it had become a little hard to resist her pleading eyes. 

There's another rap on the door.

"I told no one to disturb me." she says loudly. 

"It's Kyungwon."

Nayoung sighs. She doesn't quite understand why she holds such a weakness for the tall, warm navigator, but she finds it hard to resist her charms.

"Come in."

Kyungwon gently pushes the door open. "I brought you some tea." She sets a saucer down next to Nayoung. 

"Thank you." 

"Nice hat."

Nayoung looks up, and quickly takes it off. 

"Jieqiong made me wear it." she says, embarrassed.

"It suits you."

"Thank you." 

"I was out on the town today. Did you know they're calling you the "Terror of the High Seas" now?" 

"I saw. It's a little stupid of a nickname. Too dramatic for my tastes."

"I like it. Makes you seem powerful." Kyungwon sits on the armchair Nayoung keeps in the study. "Gives you an air of mystery."

"I'm not powerful." Nayoung says with a sigh. 

"You should stop doubting yourself so much."

Nayoung gives her a weak smile. "You treat me too well."

"I'm going to sleep. Goodnight, Nayoung. Don't keep yourself up too late."

"Goodnight." Nayoung replies, before gently closing her captain's log. She should rest.


	3. escape

Eunwoo has a plan. 

She isn't sure if it's a good one—but she perhaps isn't in the realm of escape plan expertise, so as she hurriedly scribbles notes into her journal, she can feel a pit of anxiety forming in the depths of her stomach. 

She know's she can't trust Yein to help her—not that she doesn't love Yein, but Yein is far too loyal to her mother, and Eunwoo can trust only the best. 

There's a knock at the door, the sound of a delicate hand on wood, and Eunwoo hurriedly shuts her journal.

"Come in." 

"Eunwoo, dear, I have some gowns I'd like you to try on before the ball."

Its her mother.

"Mother, I can try those on myself."

"I want to see how they fit on you." 

"Fine." She sits on her bed and begins unbuttoning her day clothes with a sigh. "I have a question."

The queen begins hanging up dresses against the wall—they're all huge and intimidating, and Eunwoo feels claustrophobic already.

"Yes?" her mother says.

"Do you think... For the ball... I could have Yewon back as my maid?"

"What's your problem with Yein?"

"Nothing! Nothing, it's just, I figure, Yewon knows me better than anyone, and she could help me prepare to you know, meet my suitors best." 

"Eunwoo," her mother turns to face her, "You know why I changed out your maids. You and Yewon were getting too close for your own good, you were giving her special privileges, treating her like a friend. We are trying to maintain a professional servant to noble role in this castle. You are the next heir to this whole kingdom. You cannot become attached to trivial things."

"Please Mother! I promise, just for the ball. She's the only one who knows me well enough to help me get ready. She knows my corset size, and how to fix my dresses, and she's trained in social etiquette. She can prepare me." 

The queen lets out an exasperated breath. 

"I'll consider it."

 

Jieqiong keeps feeling herself drawn to the castle. She's not sure why—there's no reason for her to come back. Due to an executive decision on Nayoung's part, they had decided to veer away from any sort of castle invasion, as it was way too risky. 

But Jieqiong was born with a inevitable curiosity, and she found herself wanting to watch the castle windows again. Now, she was sitting on a bench, gazing at a window of a certain tower, where another girl was gazing out. Her face—regal, elegant—somehow attracted Jieqiong and she couldn't keep herself from staring. Was that the princess herself? Her brain wanders into dreamy, gold and rose tinted fantasies. 

 

"An escape plan?" Yewon whispers. 

"I'm going to get the fuck out of here. And I need your help."

"Miss-"

"How many times have I told you not to call me that." 

"Eunwoo... Do you understand how dangerous that is?" 

"Of course I do!" Eunwoo nervously looks over her shoulder. "I've considered the repercussions. If I don't get out now I'll be fucking stuck here for my entire life. I'm doing it with or without you, but I think it'd be really good for us if we got out of here together." 

"You want me to come with you?" 

"My mother has you bound here by a contract. You deserve freedom too, you know." 

Yewon looks at her—Eunwoo doesn't know if it's with concern or hope—and sighs.

"You know I'll always drop everything for you. Since my mother passed, there's not a lot tethering me here anyway."

"Does that mean-"

"I'll help you."

 

"You guys ready?" Siyeon asks. They're standing on the deck—Siyeon, Kyla, Minkyung and Jieqiong. 

"Of course." Minkyung pushes back her bandana so that her bangs are away from her eyes.

"So. We go in as stealthily as possible—we want to avoid minimum harm onto the guards because we don't want to call any attention to ourselves. I'll be getting the gold, Kyla and Minkyung, you guys look for some lightweight but expensive wares. Jieqiong, you keep watch." 

The dusk is just setting over the island, casting everything in an orangey glow. 

Everyone nods. 

"Let's eat before we start." 

 

Eunwoo jams another dress into her suitcase, and then her journal. The sun is about to set, and her nerves have begun to tingle with anxiety. She stares at the sword—it leans against her wall, untouched as it is only used for lessons. Her mother had insisted she learned how to sword fight, as dueling was often a fun pastime between nobles. 

Now, she supposes, she can begin to see the benefits. 

Eunwoo snaps the suitcase closed, and inhales deeply. It's almost time.

 

Night has set, and Jieqiong sits on a crate along the docks, fiddling with her fingers. She's bored—mostly because she wishes she was with the others raiding the ship, or perhaps back in the ship's kitchen with Yebin, cooking something with her. She gazes out at the castle once again, and something catches her eye. 

From the window she had been watching earlier in the day—a thin line—some sort of weak ass rope, maybe made of bedsheets or something, drifts from the window and flops to the ground. She raises an eyebrow. There's a girl at the foot of the tower, and a girl at the window. Dear God, is Jieqiong witnessing an escape being conducted?

She supposes she should stay at duty and watch the guards outside the ship, but part of her feels like Siyeon just gave her the job to make her feel better. She stands up and slowly walks in the direction of the forest. The island is set up in a way that mostly forest encircles it—the castle standing as a centerpiece, with the bustling trade port below. Most of the people live on the surrounding, larger islands, and the forest stands untamed. Jieqiong knows that if she was going to escape from the castle, she'd head into the forest. Quietly, she disappears into the trees.

 

Yewon hands Eunwoo her sword and suitcase. 

"I'm very surprised you didn't fall."

Eunwoo pulls the cloak over her head.

"Me too." she replies with a lighthearted chuckle. "Are you ready?"

"Of course." Yewon drops a candle into her lantern, and watches as the flame flourishes to life. She removes a key from her apron pocket, and leads the princess to the back gate of the castle. 

Eunwoo gazes up at the nighttime sky of Black Widow Island—the clear and twinkling stars, and the rolling dark clouds—and realizes it could be the last time she'll see this place. She doesn't really mind. She's barely spent any time outside except for in the courtyard during sword fighting lessons. The island has almost no emotional attachment for her. 

Quietly, Yewon sticks the key into the gate, attempting to not make much noise, and pushes it open as gently as possible. The operation seems to be going perfect—almost too perfect, the glimmer of doubt in the back of Eunwoo's head seems to say—but nothing will stop her now. As the gate closes, she follows the light of Yewon's lantern into the thickening trees. 

It's quiet, so still that all Eunwoo seems to hear is the drift of her breath and the crunch of leaves under her feet. She can't believe her eyes—she's actually outside the castle grounds for once. 

"Hey."

The voice comes from the darkness, and at first Eunwoo thinks it's Yewon, but her maid appears to be looking around, just as confused as she is.

"Are you the princess?" the voice asks, and a figure steps into the pool of Yewon's lantern light. 

It's a girl. Her hair is partially pushed back with a bandana, and she has a pistol and a messenger bag at her side. She doesn't appear threatening, but Eunwoo finds her hand is reaching for her sword just the same.

"Woah! Woah. I'm not looking for a fight." the mystery girl exclaims, throwing her hands up in the air. 

"Who are you?" Eunwoo says, with a tentative eyebrow raise. 

"Zhou Jieqiong. Thief extraordinaire, part-time weapons expert." She makes awkward finger guns in Eunwoo's direction.

"Wait." Eunwoo feels confused. "Are you a... you know... pirate?"

"I'm technically not supposed to disclose that information. But also, yes."

"What the fuck are you doing in my forest?" 

"I was curious. Not every day you get to watch an escape plan in action. Also, don't forests like, belong to the animals or something? I feel like I read that in a book once."

Eunwoo can't tell if this girl is an idiot, or perhaps, her lucky break. 

"Listen," she says, tentatively, "If you really are a pirate, I need your help. I need to get the fuck off this island."

The girl—Jieqiong is her name, right?—grins eagerly. 

"Are you serious?" she says, excitement cracking in her voice. "You want my help with your escape plan?"

"I guess so." 

"Listen, at the very least, I can sneak you onto the ship, and get you and your friend to somewhere a little further from here." She puts her arm onto Eunwoo's shoulder, as if they're already friends. "This is so rad!" she exclaims.

Eunwoo doesn't know it yet, and neither does Jieqiong, but both of them have no idea what they're getting into.


	4. comfortable

Eunwoo has never slept anywhere but her own bed in her life. Yes, she's a little sheltered—she'll admit it—but that was more her parent's fault then her own. 

Now, she's curled up between crates of mysterious wares and barrels of food, with just a blanket covering her, the splash of the sea just outside her ears, and she can't sleep at all. Not just because she's not under satin sheets, but because it's fucking impossible for anyone to really sleep here. Yewon seems comfortable, somehow, wrapped in her cloak and snoring, and Eunwoo can't process how she could ever possibly do it.

In her novels and fantasy books, pirate life had seemed much more glamorous—it wasn't any castle by the sea, for sure, but she didn't expect to be sleeping on the floor of the storage cellar. She can't tell what time it is either, it feels like she's been down here for hours. Her eyes float to a close. She might as well attempt to rest, anyway. 

 

Yebin is always the first on the ship to wake. Having to cook means she's always up early, before the sun rises. Today, she sighs. After pulling off the dramatic gold heist last night, the ship had quickly departed away from Black Widow Island—and the crew members had held an impromptu party, which resulted in her having to clean up. But she had her duties.

She lights her candle, humming a sea shanty to herself, and begins her trip towards the cellar to pick up materials for this morning's breakfast. 

As she climbs down the ladder, she begins to swear she can hear noises—breathing? Yebin passes it off as rats or the rocking off the ship, and thunks to the ground, heading for the salted meats.

That's when she sees the sleeping girls. 

Of course, it's nothing short of a surprise. One, shivering under a flimsy cotton blanket, is wearing a gown that's probably worth more than Yebin's entire bounty, hair sprawled across the floor. The other is a smaller girl wrapped in a cloak, strands disconnecting from her braid and covering her face. 

Yebin yelps.

The girl in the gown's eyes shoot open. 

"Who are you!" Yebin practically yells. 

"Fuck!" the girl on the floor exclaims. "You're not Jieqiong!"

Yebin rolls her eyes. Just what has that Jieqiong kid gotten into now?

"You and your friend stay right there. I'm getting the captain."

 

The beams of sunlight rising with the impending dawn practically blind Eunwoo's eyes. However, the most annoying thing are the ropes, rough and chafing, around her waist and wrists.

"Do I really have to be bound like this?" Eunwoo scoffs at the rather intimidating group of girls surrounding her.

"You had a sword. It's for safety." remarks the girl with bangs and an elegant nose—with a closer look, Eunwoo can recognize her face from wanted posters—Roa the Devil.

She swallows, because that can only mean one thing—the captain is-

Click. Clack.

The ground rings with the noise of approaching heeled boots, and she looks up to face a woman—so tall that Eunwoo feels like a bug—a woman who any fearful kingdom noble and navy official will recognize immediately.

The Terror of the High Seas.

Captain Im Nayoung. 

"This is her?" Nayoung remarks. 

"Yes, captain. Found her in the cellar sleeping, with her friend here."

A girl with an eyepatch, who Eunwoo knows as Xiyeon the Bloodthirsty, crouches down to Eunwoo's eye level, fiddling with her dagger. 

She looks up at the captain. "How should we deal with her?" 

"Hey, wait!" Jieqiong steps forward from behind Roa. "This is my fault. I brought her here."

Xiyeon gives her a glare. "Do explain how you found the time to sneak some fucking noblewoman onto our ship." 

"I may have... neglected guard duty." 

"And you just? Stumbled upon her?" 

"Well, sorta-"

Eunwoo finally butts in.

"I was escaping the castle. I'm Princess Jung Eunwoo. And this is my maid, Yewon."

Roa sneers. "Likely story."

"I have my family crest ring." She wiggles her fingers. "Just check my hands." 

Xiyeon reaches around and tugs a ring off her finger. 

"Shit, this actually seems legit." She passes it up to Nayoung, who's been watching stone-faced this whole time. 

"This looks authentic." she says, after holding it up to her eye.

"I'm sorry. I asked Jieqiong to sneak me onto the ship. Please don't blame her. You can just drop me off at the next island." 

The tall, quiet woman holding several rolled up maps that's standing next to Nayoung whispers in her ear.

"No." the captain announces.

"What?" Eunwoo feels her spine sharpen with anxiety. "Please don't make me walk the plank I swear I won't tell anyone-"

"Walk the plank!" Xiyeon says with a loud laugh. "We don't do that. That's for fake pirates." 

"We're not going to hold you." Nayoung says cooly. "You're free to roam—on this ship. We're holding onto you, for emergencies. I'm sure that your parents want you back, yes?"

"O-of course."

"You'll be our deal tool if we ever get in another navy stand-off." 

Eunwoo supposed that was better than being cooped up in the castle. She nods. 

"Okay."

 

"So where the hell are the newbies going to sleep?" says Yebin. Sleeping quarters are tight—just enough room for the six crew members, with separate rooms for the captain and the first mate.

Jieqiong can tell Eunwoo looks uncomfortable, fiddling with her fingers. 

"I'm fine with sleeping back in the cellar!" proposes Yewon with a bright smile on her face. 

Jieqiong puts her arms around Eunwoo's shoulders. "I'll have Eunwoo share with me!" 

"What?" Eunwoo exclaims.

"My bed has lots of room. I'm pretty scrawny, you'll fit!" 

"Yewon can share with me." says Sungyeon, who seems already bonded with the other smiley girl. 

"I'm not sure if—" Eunwoo starts, but Jieqiong pushes her down onto her bed. 

"Get under the covers." she demands. "You deserve some rest."

Kyla snuffs the light.

 

Eunwoo can't sleep again. It's not because of the hardened wood this time, it's because Zhou Jieqiong is currently spooning her—face resting in her neck, breath floating softly, and arms around her waist. Does she always spoon in her sleep? Is this just a thing she does? 

Jieqiong's fingers are gentle and wandering—tracing ghost patterns on Eunwoo's stomach. 

She wonders what she's dreaming about. 

Eventually, the toss of the sea ushers Eunwoo to sleep.

 

When Yebin wakes from a blurry dream at midnight, she can sense Minkyung is gone. She doesn't know how—she just knows. The floorboards creak, and she can see the door to Nayoung and Minkyung's room is open, Minkyung's bed is empty. She knows where the girl is.

Gently, she crawls up the ladder to the deck, quietly closing the trap door. 

Yebin gazes up—at the crow's nest, where she can see a figure silhouetted against the night sky. She's a little scared of climbing the rigging in her post sleep haze, but her worry for Minkyung seems to take over and she begins to grasp at the ropes. 

It doesn't take long for Minkyung to notice her.

"Don't come up here." she calls down. "Go back to sleep." 

Yebin hoists herself along the ropes. She's no longer afraid of heights like she can remember being when she was young—living on a ship changes that. 

"Not until you can sleep too." she calls up.

She crawls into the crow's nest, where Minkyung stands, wind whipping her hair. 

"Go away."

"Did you have a bad dream again?"

Minkyung doesn't say anything for a few seconds, just stares at the expanse of ocean curling over the horizon. 

"Yeah." she replies, finally. 

Yebin stands next to her. "I'm sorry."

"It's happening every night now."

"I wish I could help."

Minkyung awkwardly takes Yebin's hand into her own as they watch the night sky together. 

"Don't worry," she murmurs, "You already do."


	5. boom bang boom

"Almost done." Kyungwon says pleasantly, humming to herself as she pricks the needle through the satin fabric. "I feel a little bad cutting up this dress, it's so nice."

Eunwoo sits patiently in her nightgown, fiddling with her fingers as she watches Kyungwon sew. She had lent a dress to be reconfigured for more appropriate maritime wear—as Kyungwon had suggested. Eunwoo already felt somewhat of a fondness for the navigator—there was something so warm and welcoming about her.

"All done!" Kyungwon holds up a satin shirt, and on her lap lies a pair of pants. Eunwoo rarely wore pants—her mother preferred the elegance of dresses, but Kyungwon had made a strong case for the importance of wearing something easy to move around in on the ship.

"I do believe we are getting close to our destination. You stay here and change, I have to go work." Kyungwon says, with a warm smile. 

Eunwoo smiles back. This ship is starting to feel like home. 

 

Minkyung took in a deep breath as she stood outside of the captains study, straightening her back and trying to fill herself with confidence.

It was odd, really, she had known Nayoung for so long, yet talking to her still made her anxious.

She raps on the door. "Captain?"

"Mhm? Come in." 

She gently pushes the door open. Nayoung is sitting at her desk, maps spread everywhere—covered in scribbled notations.

"You still haven't told anyone but Kyungwon where we're going."

Nayoung looks up. "I'm sorry. I've been busy."

Minkyung swipes hair behind her ear. "But where are we going?"

"Well," Nayoung sets down her pen, "you remember how a month ago i had a meeting with the King?"

"King Taeyeon?" 

King Taeyeon and her crew were some of the most legendary pirates out there—and perhaps seeing potential in Nayoung, she had requested a meeting with their crew over a month ago.

"As a gift, she gave me this treasure map. I figured it might be a good mission to warm Eunwoo and Yewon up to pirate life. I'm not sure that they're prepared for combat just yet."

"Great idea, captain."

Nayoung gestures outside the door. "Why don't you go brief everyone."

"On it, captain!" 

Minkyung leaves Nayoung's study with a bright smile on her face.

 

"Buried treasure? Sounds lame." Siyeon complains.

"We're doing it for our new kids." says Minkyung with a gesture to Eunwoo and Yewon. "Something simple, to get in the handle of things."

Eunwoo looks ahead, and begins to see the silhouetted form of a small island appear in the distance. 

"I like it!" says Jieqiong cheerily. "Haven't been on a good ol' treasure hunt in forever."

"I love treasure hunts!" Sungyeon says. "This will be so fun!" 

One of the trap doors swings open, and out comes Nayoung. "Is everyone ready? We shouldn't be here for more than two hours."

"I'll get the shovel." says Kyla.

"Good girl. Now the island is small, but I'm giving you all flares in case of emergency, alright?"

Everyone nods. Eunwoo feels anxiety pool in her stomach—nervous for her first actual activity as a pirate.

 

Jieqiong seems impossibly thrilled. "I've always loved treasure hunts. We rarely do them, but they're so much fun!" 

Eunwoo pushes aside a few branches and peaks through. 

"What are we looking for exactly?" 

Jieqiong unrolls her hastily made map—copied directly from Nayoung's around fifteen minutes ago. 

"Whatever this is." she says, finger pointing to a large "x". "If we can manage to find that and dig up whatever's buried there, we're set."

"What if it's like... a coffin or something nasty?"

"The King wouldn't play us like that... I think." 

Eunwoo gives an uncomfortable laugh, feeling some sort of ominous hunch. 

 

"This rock formation! It looks almost exactly the same!" Yewon says with a thrill in her voice. 

Kyla bursts through the trees. 

"Did you find it?" 

"I think..." Sungyeon says, glancing back and forth at the map and the ground underneath. "Pretty sure."

"Nice work, Yewon." Nayoung says, with just a hint of pride in her voice.

 

Minkyung kicks a rock. "I hate guard duty." 

Yebin hums to herself, using a large stick to attempt to knock a coconut down from a tree. "Someone's gotta do it." 

"Why not you?" Minkyung complains, rolling her head back.

"Because I'm supposed to be searching for food." 

"What am I even guarding against! I'm pretty sure there's not even a fucking bug on this island alive."

"You're cute when you're whiny."

"What?"

"Nothing." Yebin coughs.

Minkyung gazes out at the lapping teal waves, when suddenly something catches her eyes.

"Hold on a second." 

"What?" Yebin asks as she finally whacks the tree hard enough that a coconut splits from the branches, and onto the ground.

Minkyung reaches into her bag and pulls out a telescope, eyebrows creased as she places it against her eye.

"There's something out there."

"What do you mean?"

Minkyung twists the lens a bit. "Fuck!" she exclaims. It's a ship, headed straight for the tiny island. It isn't the ship that's as threatening, however, it's the bright pink and orange flag wavering in the wind she spots as she squints. "We're in fucking trouble." she groans, and her fingers grip her gun. 

 

Clang!

The shovel hits something hard and metal. 

"Found it!" Kyla exclaims. Siyeon begins to brush sand out of the way as Kyla keeps digging, revealing an opulent treasure chest, glinting with the sunlight. 

"Jackpot." Siyeon says, with a wide grin.

"I thought you found this lame." Kyungwon says with a light chuckle. 

"Any amount of money large enough can change my mind."

Yewon and Sungyeon begin pulling the treasure chest out of its well concealed hole. 

Suddenly, three loud banging noises ring in the air from the direction of the beach. 

"Did Minkyung use her fucking flare? How's she going to get lost when she's literally standing right by the ship." 

Nayoung shades her eyes with a hand, gazing at the sky. 

"There's no smoke." she says. "That wasn't a flare. Those were gunshots." 

Nayoung pauses, hands instinctively reaching for her weapon at her side. 

"We're under attack."

 

Minkyung prays to the gods that Nayoung heard her warning shots—a special signal they had developed in their early days together. 

The ship is just about to dock, and Minkyung draws her sword as she sees a familiar face—one she only knows from wanted posters, but she knows for sure—Captain Jihyo of the Traveling Tyrants, an up and coming crew that's been dominating the pirate scene lately. 

"Get the fuck away!" Minkyung demands, as ropes begin to cascade down the side of the ship and crew members begin to climb down. "We got here first!" 

Hopping down a rope, Jihyo grins. "My, my. Roa the Devil. Pleasure to meet you." 

"Taeyeon gave us the permission to come here." 

"That's odd," says Jihyo, unfurling a piece of paper in her hand, "because she gave it to us too."

Minkyung gazes at the map in her hands—it's the exact same as the one she saw Nayoung with earlier. Of course. Just like Taeyeon to pit two separate crews against each other for entertainment. 

"We have that same map!" Yebin, who's standing slightly behind Minkyung, gasps. 

"Well then, I suppose it's a race for the treasure, isn't it?" She gestures to her crew. "Ladies, charge!" 

 

Yewon's heart is thumping. She's never run so fast in her entire life. It had been just a minute ago when Nayoung had turned to her and Sungyeon with a fiery look in her eyes and said "Sungyeon, Yewon, take the treasure and run!" 

They knew they couldn't run back to the beach, as that was where the other pirates had docked—and so they had sunk deeper into the jungle. 

Suddenly, Yewon sees a cave, just hidden enough by ferns that it wouldn't be noticed at a brief glance. 

"There!" she whispers to Sungyeon, and lugging the heavy treasure chest, they quickly sink into the darkness. 

 

No combat, no trouble, Nayoung had said. Just a preparation mission, to ease her in. Eunwoo was starting to doubt her words.

"Can you fight at all?" whispers Jieqiong as they move quickly through the trees. 

"I can sword fight."

"Good enough." says Jieqiong, pulling mysterious satchels and black orbs from her bag. 

"What are those?"

"Bombs. Of my own design." 

"Oh." They didn't call Jieqiong the weapons expert for nothing, she supposed. 

Eunwoo draws her sword, and charges onto the beach. 

 

Minkyung does not enjoy the feeling of nine guns pointed square at her face. 

"Where is the treasure?" demands Jihyo, cocking her head to the side. 

"I'm telling you, we don't know!" Yebin exclaims. "We were just supposed to keep watch while they found it!" 

Suddenly, a figure dressed in a long black coat and tall boots bursts through the shrubbery. 

"There she is! The Terror of the High Seas." 

Nayoung is slightly panting—she's obviously run fast to get here. 

One of the pirates, Jeongyeon is her name, turns around and trains her gun on Nayoung. 

"Jihyo," the Terror herself says, growling, "We got here first. I don't care what the fuck Taeyeon told you, the treasure is ours." 

Minkyung tries to step forward, but Jihyo notices and cocks her gun. "Don't move or I will shoot." 

"Now!" Nayoung suddenly shouts, and there's a loud explosion, and a cloud of smoke fills the air, sand and dust rising. Minkyung grabs her sword and ducks in between two opposing crew members as the smoke begins to dissipate.

Other members of Nayoung's crew have appeared from the forest, and Jihyo yells "You're on!"

 

Sungyeon and Yewon shiver inside the cave, holding tight onto the treasure chest. 

"I'm scared." whispers Sungyeon.

Yewon grabs her hand. "I am too. But let's not let fear conquer us. When I get scared, I like to think of things that make me happy."

"Can I think of you?" Sungyeon asks.

"Why?"

"Because you make me happy."

If it hadn't been so dark, Sungyeon would have seen Yewon blushing.

 

Eunwoo barely ducks when the first shiny blade comes jabbing at her. It's Jihyo's first mate—Nayeon, and she looks very confident with her blade.

Eunwoo feels a odd boost of confidence, and suddenly counters with a swipe of her sword, vaguely falling into the rhythm she can remember from her sword practice with Jongin. 

Nayeon hisses back at her. "Better than I expected, princess." 

"I've had a lot of practice." she replies, quickly slashing at Nayeon, and almost striking, but is blocked last minute by Nayeon's blade. 

There's more clanging, and darting back and forth—her opponent is quick and determined. Eunwoo feels her brand new shirt rip with another sword slash, just barely grazing her arm. There's a definite difference from this and sword fighting class—Jongin was paitent, kindly, but Nayeon is speedy and unforgiving. 

Suddenly, there's a boom. Jieqiong has managed to get up on the ship and start revving up the canons, and the noise is enough distraction for Nayeon to lose focus for a split second. At that moment, Eunwoo stabs—straight into her stomach.

"Fuck!" Nayeon stumbles back, gripping hard onto the wound, attempting to stand back up, but struggling—her legs are shaking and she can't seem to move. 

"Man down!" one girl, Momo is it? shouts, running over, and drawing her weapon with a glare. "You'll pay for this!" 

 

Jihyo glares down Nayoung, and Nayoung glares back. 

"Where is my fucking treasure!" Jihyo yells over the noise. There's a crash as another cannonball falls and Nayoung would sigh if her nerves weren't so tense—this is an utter disaster.

"I'm not telling." 

"How about this?" Jihyo says with a smirk, and suddenly points her weapon.

Nayoung responds, but it's a second too late. 

Jihyo fires.

Nayoung falls to the ground.

**Author's Note:**

> if ur wonderin where yewon is she will sppear later dont worry!!


End file.
